Cinda Williams Chima

Relates the intertwining fates of former street gang leader Han Alister and headstrong Princess Raisa, as Han takes possession of an amulet that once belonged to an evil wizard and Raisa uncovers a conspiracy in the Grey Wolf Court.

Demon King, The (A Seven Realms Novel)

Slowish start but finally got interesting at the end.

Lydia Enge

river k

YA in general is really not my thing, I think. I'm not sure why I thought this book might be different. Mostly this just was not my cup of tea- I didn't really care for any of the characters (found them sort of flat and generic), and I especially wasn't a fan of the writing style (felt more "tell" than "show"). It also took way too long to get remotely interesting for me- I slogged through about 400 pages before I felt like things started to actually get going. I don't think I will be continuing this series.

Kathryn

“That was a long time ago, but these are dangerous times,”Bird said. “We have a weak queen. The power of wizards is growing. We in the clan feel less welcome in the Vale. We wheeled less influence at court.”

This folks, feels like the definition of easily digestible, entertaining high fantasy. It’s engaging, builds well, is moderately paced and sparks so much curiosity (seriously, the cuffs though). But remember that you must be patient! This book starts off slow and steady and eases you into this unique world and magical story. 

I’m definitely picking up the rest of this series! 

4.25/5⭐️

More like 4.5/5 stars. It took some time to get into the meat of the story, but after that I ADORED IT. Court intrigue + mystery + magic + love pentagrams/hexagons: who wouldn't love it?

Can't wait to pick up the second instalment... which is right now because I have no self-control whatsoever.

Cat H

3.5 stars. This book feels like one big exposition, like chess pieces being set up on a board. The reader gets a general world building, in that there was a previous malady on the land that was salvaged through a type of treaty upheld by three distinct sects of people: wizards, valefolk(regular people), and clan folk (green/earth magic). There is also two main perspectives: a former thief with bad luck trying to do right by his “people” and a whining princess who is dropped into a world of politics without being properly prepared. Both viewpoints far more connected than the other knows. I did enjoy being thrust into the world and action quickly, as well as the sly court politics that slowly reveal themselves along the way. However, since there isn’t many big action plot points you get stuck in personal, small, tedious problems that are either forgotten or easily resolved. There are also relationships developed between characters without much explanation given. 
I do plan on continuing the series since I feel it is building to something bigger. While the book did lag on at certain points, it was an enjoyable ride and the ending revelations promise entertaining sequels. 

TW: sexual assault through the use of magic, animal cruelty
(Very specific scenes not all throughout the novel)

This review was originally posted on Caity Reads.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and cannot wait to pick up the second book in the series (even though it’ll be a few months cause I’m broke D:). The Demon King follows two young characters perspectives, the first of which is an ex-streetlord by the name of Han Alister; the second of which is Raisa ana’Marianna, the princess heir of the Queendom. I loved both of these characters very much and I thought the dual perspective really added something to the book. You got to see a lot more of the world and how this world operates while with Han, and how it really differs from how Raisa thinks it operates. You also got to see more of the royalty and how corrupt it is while with Raisa.

The first half or so of this book is very slow, and I think a big part of that is due to the fact that this is the first book in a high fantasy series and there is a lot of character and world building to get through. I know some people may not find this as enjoyable, but I thought it was amazing. Chima has created this amazing fantasy world with an interesting plot and an interesting back story and I’m so glad that there is a lot of world building in this book.

The plot of this book was insane, and in a good way. It wasn’t predictable; I did not see most of the twists and turns coming and I’m incredibly grateful for that. Each of the characters were very well developed, they had unique personalities, and it made the book that much more enjoyable. I thought how the two very different characters come into contact with each other was very interesting and I can’t wait till they cross paths again. They are definitely an interesting duo when together, and I’m excited to see more of it.

I would definitely recommend you pick this up if you’re into young adult high fantasy. It has an amazing world, topped off with an amazing plot and characters. It was just a really fun story all around.

First Read: 3/25/14 to 4/2/14
Second Read:

Demon King, The (A Seven Realms Novel)

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